I had been with Alfred for several years, so I had some understanding of Joan's personality; she cared a lot about reputation.

It was she who insisted that the wedding be held at a seven-star hotel, saying that since he was her only son, the wedding had to be grand and impressive.

To me, marriage was a lifetime commitment, and I also wanted a grand wedding.

However, during the preparations for booking the hotel, she kept finding excuses for why the money wasn’t enough and asked me to cover the costs, always saying, “Laraine, you cover it first, and I’ll have Alfred pay you back later.”

In reality, she lacked...